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Justice League: Wonder Woman's Role Hasn't Changed

Wonder Woman's role in the upcoming Justice League film has not changed following the enthusiastic response to Diana Prince's solo vehicle that broke box office records earlier this month. After a rocky 2016 that saw numerous ups and downs, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman gave the DC Extended Universe its first undisputed critical and commercial hit, with many people praising the tone and portrayal by star Gal Gadot. The success of Wonder Woman has only increased anticipation for Justice League, in which Diana will be teaming up with Bruce Wayne to assemble a team of heroes to protect Earth from various threats.

Those who have been following the Justice League production know that the movie is currently conducting reshoots that are being handled by Joss Whedon. The timing of this additional photography (coming so soon after Wonder Woman seized the zeitgeist) could have some believing that new scenes are being shot to increase Diana's part in the blockbuster to capitalize on her immense popularity. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, and her role in Justice League is unchanged from the initial conception.

In an interview with Variety, DC's Jon Berg briefly touched on Wonder Woman's next appearance on the big screen, saying that the character was always a major part of the proceedings due to the reaction after Batman V Superman:

"Her role won’t change, but she was already playing a big role. People really responded to Gal [Gadot] in 'Batman v. Superman.' We knew we had something special."

Warner Bros. unveiled the first trailer for Justice League during their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2016, which took place 11 months before Wonder Woman hit theaters. Based on the footage, it was clear Diana was going to be a main character in that film, as she's essentially a co-lead alongside Batman. The overwhelmingly positive response to Wonder Woman may influence decisions for future projects down the road (see: Jenkins working on a treatment for Wonder Woman 2), but Wonder Woman and Justice League were too close on the release schedule to impact each other in any meaningful way. If anything, the filmmakers should be ecstatic people fell for the Amazonian warrior, because it means more viewers will be excited for Justice League. WB would be in a tight spot right now if Wonder Woman had been a disappointment.

With the DCEU implementing a shift in philosophy following the divisive reviews of Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, the hope is we're now entering a golden age for the franchise. The Justice League previews have done a good job selling audiences on the new tone, which is more light-hearted and "fun" when compared to its predecessors. By placing Diana front and center, the creative team of Zack Snyder and Whedon should be in excellent shape.